NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was in Toronto yesterday
at the Canadian Sports Media achievement awards luncheon.
During his visit, Bettman discussed the state of the league
with local writers. On the sparse attendance for the second
Hurricanes home game: "There's no surprise here. You're
dealing with a situation where the team is playing over 70
miles from its permanent home. We knew ... this would be a
problem, particularly on weeknights." Bettman likened the
situation to the NFL's Oilers who are experiencing
attendance problems while playing in Memphis temporarily
before moving to Nashville. Regarding the number of player
holdouts and the increasing team payrolls, Bettman said,
"You have to look at these things over time. ... We've had
holdouts in prior years. It's easy to say, 'Oh my, look at
this.' But if you go back over time holdouts have happened.
... The thing you have to look at over time is: Are our
revenues and our salaries, our players costs, increasing
about the same rate? My preference is that our revenues
increase faster than the salaries, which is what's been
happening for the past few years." Bettman said that he had
"no news" concerning the sale of the Oilers (David Shoalts,
Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 10/9). He also added that the sale of
the Islanders is a "work in progress" (CP, 10/9).
FAMILIAR REFRAIN: Fox Sports Net's John Walsh reported
on the increase in NHL salaries, noting that they have risen
"a shocking" 265% in the last six years. Walsh: "Who's to
blame for these salaries? One argument says that it's the
GMs' fault ... the other school of thought is that it's the
players who are just too greedy ... So general managers have
to adjust; now they see athletes as investments and not just
talented hockey players." Flyers GM Bobby Clarke: "[W]e
have a great sport to sell, but we don't know how to raise
the revenues to pay the salaries that are being demanded by
our players ... We're one of the high revenue teams in the
league, and we're really concerned with where this is going.
And we don't know ... how to put the brakes on." Kings GM
Dave Taylor: "[I]t's going to be very difficult for the
small markets to compete" ("Fox Sports News," FSN, 10/8).

Former U.S. Senator Thomas Eagleton "sparred for more
than two hours" Wednesday with NFL attorney Frank Rothman
over league guidelines and the Rams' move from California to
St. Louis, according to William Lhotka of the ST. LOUIS
POST-DISPATCH. The testimony came during the third day of
the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission's (CVC)
$130M antitrust suit against the NFL. Eagleton is the
former head of FANS, Inc., which led the drive to lure the
Rams, and is "a key witness" for the CVC. Eagleton said the
reason NFL owners rejected to team's move in March of '95
and approved it a month later was the agreement to pay a
$29M relocation fee and make other concessions. Eagleton:
"M-O-N-E-Y, that's what changed the decision between the two
meetings, money." But under cross examination, the NFL's
Rothman questioned Eagleton about his role in supporting
legislation while a U.S. Senator that would have exempted
the NFL and other pro sports from antitrust laws, which
would have "set guidelines for team relocation that are
nearly identical to the guidelines now on NFL books."
Eagleton said he introduced that measure to prevent Bill
Bidwill, Owner of NFL's St. Louis Cardinals, from moving to
Arizona. In other news, Judge Jean Hamilton "agreed to a
key defense request -- that the jury not hear any evidence
about relocation fees or other issues relating to three
other NFL team moves. The judge ruled that because these
moves took place after the Rams moved to St. Louis, they
aren't part of the trial." U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt also
testified and said that he initiated contact with the Rams
in early '94 about moving (POST-DISPATCH, 10/9).

The '97-98 NBA season is previewed by Mike Lupica in
MEN'S JOURNAL. Under the header, "Anyone But Mike," Lupica
questions which, if any, of the NBA's young players are
ready to carry the league's torch after Michael Jordan
departs. Lupica: "For some time now, the league has been
hiding more garbage behind Jordan than Hollywood hid behind
Harrison Ford in Air Force One. Now let's find out if there
really is life after Jordan. ... [W]ithout Jordan , is
there one player, above all others, who can get us to stay
tuned?" Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O'Neal and
Kevin Garnett are noted as possible successors. Hawks Coach
Lenny Wilkens: "The league wants it to be Grant, I know that
... But ... I'm not sure if Grant can ever be that guy."
Wilkens "nominates" Hardaway: "He doesn't have just the
game. I believe he can have the personality, too." TNT's
Doc Rivers: "I believe Garnett might be the one to watch,
just in terms of star quality." Red Auerbach singles out
O'Neal: "[H]e does have that smile." Lupica writes that
"[m]arketing is a sacrament in pro basketball" and that
Hill, Hardaway, and O'Neal have been "marketed beautifully."
He adds that Jordan's coming retirement "doesn't mean we're
moving up on some sort of October 1929 for the NBA ...
Ratings are good, revenues are sky-high ... the sport is
gaining popularity all over the world. But nothing lasts
forever" (MEN'S JOURNAL, 11/97 issue).

Today, THE DAILY lists the average gross ticket price
of each NFL team in '97. Figures are based on the number of
seats at each individual ticket price, when made available.
Club and suite seats are not included. Note: (a) indicates
a figure based on an approximation given by the club.